Mentone Holds Hearing On Grant App
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Mentone Holds Hearing On Grant App
By Daniel [email protected]
During a public meeting, Mentone residents were informed the town is applying for $1 million in grant funds from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Only counties who had storm damage in May and June 2008 are eligible to apply for those funds.
Kent Anderson from Kenna Consulting and Management gave a brief presentation and said that his company is currently doing an income survey.
One criteria for the grant is that 51 percent of the residents in the stormwater area must be low-to-moderate income based on Housing and Urban Development numbers.
The application deadline is April 30.
Anderson urged residents to write letters and hand in photos of how flooding has affected their lives.
Residents on hand Monday night gave stories of how flooding has damaged their homes.
Russell and Retha Hart, who live on Franklin Street in Mentone, said their bedroom smells like mold, they've had to get new shoes on a regular basis because mold grows on them and they get sick a lot.
Tina Van Dusen, North Franklin Street, said she had to repair her home's water heater and furnace because of flooding.
One resident said that she's seen children swimming in a home's backyard because so much water had collected there.
"See at this point its a health issue," said town board president Tim Croy.
Croy also informed those in attendance that this is a project the town has been pursuing for years.
"This isn't something where we're applying for this money just because it's available," said Croy.
Heidi Baker, North Franklin Street, said her home also has mold problems and that recently mushrooms began growing in her home.
Residents said its not uncommon for some in town to tie a boat to their front porch so they can use that to get from their home to their driveway when steady rain causes flooding.
James Emans with Emans Engineering said the problem is the county tile that currently serves to drain water in town wasn't designed for a town like Mentone but more for farms.
In all about 14 Mentone residents spoke at the meeting.
The grants will be awarded June 11. Both Anderson and Emans said that there will be about $25 million handed out to about 25 to 30 different projects.
Anderson estimated that more than 100 town and cities will apply for money.
If Mentone is awarded a $1 million grant the town will add $50,000 in County Economic Development Income Tax money.[[In-content Ad]]She said the brick on the backside of some downtown businesses is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.
The city provides $25,000 each year for facade improvements and it is a matching grant, according to Rudisel-Jordan.
She said the city supplies the funds to repair the front side of buildings, not the back side.
"I would like to see the grant used if money is left over for repairing the backside of buildings because the whole intention is to help downtown businesses maintain and I trust your judgement in prioritizing these funds," Grose said.
Thallemer said the city will look into using the grant to also include funding to improve the backside of downtown businesses.
In other business, the council tabled two tax abatement requests.
The council tabled a request from petitioner Caleb France for a tax abatement for real property at 100 W. Market St. The request was tabled for the council to learn more about the time frame of the tax abatement.
Echelon Group filed for the tax abatement in 2005 for the improvement of the Market Street structure. The second floor to include two condominiums.
The project included improving a downtown structure and increased the assessed value of the structure, according to planning information.
The council also tabled continuing a six-year tax abatement request on real property by R & B Investors Partnership for property used by Wildman Uniform at 800 S. Buffalo St.
Wildman Uniform was previously granted a six-year tax abatement on real estate located at the Buffalo Street property.
The business plans to expand its existing facility by 10,000 square feet. The company spent $382,951 on real property improvements and created an additional three jobs with salaries more than $300,000.
Hampton reminded the council they decided a year ago to require those petitioning for tax abatements to attend meetings to be available in case the council needs to ask them questions about the request.
In other business the council reviewed a letter from Mary Lou Plummer, Warsaw wastewater officer manager, that said through the end of 2009, the billing office has recorded $1,093 in liens and collected $280,857.19 in accounts past due.
Beginning in August 2007, the department established a monthly process of tracking accounts past due 90 days or more and recorded property liens with the Kosciusko County Treasurer's Office.
She said staff discovered there were numerous homes and businesses that were not being properly billed for wastewater service.
She said the department is currently using its GIS database to cross reference each address in Warsaw to update billing records.
"In an effort to improve our service, we are evaluating software that would update our computers and interface with the city's Web site to take online payments by credit card," Plummer said during the meeting.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen reported the city has purchased a van from Michiana Area Council On Government.
Also during the meeting, a public hearing was held for property owned by James and Nancy Miner they requested to be annexed.
The council will review an ordinance for the annexation at its May meeting.
The council also reviewed a Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory report for March with 101 responses.
In other business, the council approved a conflict of interest statement for Becky Moreno, Warsaw Police Department victims assistance coordinator. Moreno will serve as a zumba fitness instructor for Warsaw Parks Department.
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During a public meeting, Mentone residents were informed the town is applying for $1 million in grant funds from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs.
Only counties who had storm damage in May and June 2008 are eligible to apply for those funds.
Kent Anderson from Kenna Consulting and Management gave a brief presentation and said that his company is currently doing an income survey.
One criteria for the grant is that 51 percent of the residents in the stormwater area must be low-to-moderate income based on Housing and Urban Development numbers.
The application deadline is April 30.
Anderson urged residents to write letters and hand in photos of how flooding has affected their lives.
Residents on hand Monday night gave stories of how flooding has damaged their homes.
Russell and Retha Hart, who live on Franklin Street in Mentone, said their bedroom smells like mold, they've had to get new shoes on a regular basis because mold grows on them and they get sick a lot.
Tina Van Dusen, North Franklin Street, said she had to repair her home's water heater and furnace because of flooding.
One resident said that she's seen children swimming in a home's backyard because so much water had collected there.
"See at this point its a health issue," said town board president Tim Croy.
Croy also informed those in attendance that this is a project the town has been pursuing for years.
"This isn't something where we're applying for this money just because it's available," said Croy.
Heidi Baker, North Franklin Street, said her home also has mold problems and that recently mushrooms began growing in her home.
Residents said its not uncommon for some in town to tie a boat to their front porch so they can use that to get from their home to their driveway when steady rain causes flooding.
James Emans with Emans Engineering said the problem is the county tile that currently serves to drain water in town wasn't designed for a town like Mentone but more for farms.
In all about 14 Mentone residents spoke at the meeting.
The grants will be awarded June 11. Both Anderson and Emans said that there will be about $25 million handed out to about 25 to 30 different projects.
Anderson estimated that more than 100 town and cities will apply for money.
If Mentone is awarded a $1 million grant the town will add $50,000 in County Economic Development Income Tax money.[[In-content Ad]]She said the brick on the backside of some downtown businesses is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.
The city provides $25,000 each year for facade improvements and it is a matching grant, according to Rudisel-Jordan.
She said the city supplies the funds to repair the front side of buildings, not the back side.
"I would like to see the grant used if money is left over for repairing the backside of buildings because the whole intention is to help downtown businesses maintain and I trust your judgement in prioritizing these funds," Grose said.
Thallemer said the city will look into using the grant to also include funding to improve the backside of downtown businesses.
In other business, the council tabled two tax abatement requests.
The council tabled a request from petitioner Caleb France for a tax abatement for real property at 100 W. Market St. The request was tabled for the council to learn more about the time frame of the tax abatement.
Echelon Group filed for the tax abatement in 2005 for the improvement of the Market Street structure. The second floor to include two condominiums.
The project included improving a downtown structure and increased the assessed value of the structure, according to planning information.
The council also tabled continuing a six-year tax abatement request on real property by R & B Investors Partnership for property used by Wildman Uniform at 800 S. Buffalo St.
Wildman Uniform was previously granted a six-year tax abatement on real estate located at the Buffalo Street property.
The business plans to expand its existing facility by 10,000 square feet. The company spent $382,951 on real property improvements and created an additional three jobs with salaries more than $300,000.
Hampton reminded the council they decided a year ago to require those petitioning for tax abatements to attend meetings to be available in case the council needs to ask them questions about the request.
In other business the council reviewed a letter from Mary Lou Plummer, Warsaw wastewater officer manager, that said through the end of 2009, the billing office has recorded $1,093 in liens and collected $280,857.19 in accounts past due.
Beginning in August 2007, the department established a monthly process of tracking accounts past due 90 days or more and recorded property liens with the Kosciusko County Treasurer's Office.
She said staff discovered there were numerous homes and businesses that were not being properly billed for wastewater service.
She said the department is currently using its GIS database to cross reference each address in Warsaw to update billing records.
"In an effort to improve our service, we are evaluating software that would update our computers and interface with the city's Web site to take online payments by credit card," Plummer said during the meeting.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen reported the city has purchased a van from Michiana Area Council On Government.
Also during the meeting, a public hearing was held for property owned by James and Nancy Miner they requested to be annexed.
The council will review an ordinance for the annexation at its May meeting.
The council also reviewed a Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory report for March with 101 responses.
In other business, the council approved a conflict of interest statement for Becky Moreno, Warsaw Police Department victims assistance coordinator. Moreno will serve as a zumba fitness instructor for Warsaw Parks Department.
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